Photo by: Brian Tirpak
NCAA Championships Begin Friday For Spartans
5/19/2021 10:01:00 PM | Women's Golf
The Michigan State women's golf team will be competing in the NCAA Championships for the 14th time in program history. Play begins Friday for all 24 teams at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
After tying for fourth place at the NCAA Louisville Regional last week, Michigan State will be making its first NCAA Championships appearance since 2017 and what will be the 12th under head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll.
> MSU Notes & Stats | NCAA Golf Home | Golfstat
The Format
All 24 teams will compete in three rounds (Friday – Sunday) of stroke play. At the conclusion of Sunday's round, the top 15 teams and top nine individuals not on an advancing team will move on. The fourth and final round of stroke play will take place on Monday, May 24, which will determine an individual national champion. The top eight teams at the end of the fourth round of stroke play move on to match play, which will take place on Tuesday, May 25 (quarterfinals and semifinals) and Wednesday, May 26 (championship).
Starting Five...
• The Spartans are making their 14th NCAA Championships appearance and first since 2017.
• MSU, the No. 8 seed in the Louisville Regional, tied for fourth to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships.
• Michigan State won the Big Ten Championship by five shots (April 23-25) at TPC River's Bend ... MSU has won three of the last four (2017, 18, 21) and six of the last 10 Big Ten titles.
•The Spartans have three tournament wins this season and have been in the top five in five of nine events this season.
• The Spartans had three players earn All-Big Ten honors: Valery Plata (first team), Paz Marfa Sans (second team) and Yurika Tanida (second team).
Coach Slobodnik-Stoll on the National Coach of the Year Watch List
Spartan head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll is one of 20 coaches on the Jackie Steinmann Women's Golf Coaches Association National Coach of the Year watch list. Recognized as the highest annual coaching honor in women's collegiate golf, the Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride is awarded annually to the top coach in Division I, II III and NAIA women's golf. The recipient is selected by a prestigious collection of women's collegiate golf coaches who follow criteria that has been established to identify the top head coach for the past year.
Slobodnik-Stoll is making her 12th appearance at the NCAA Championships in 24 seasons as head coach. She has led MSU to 21 NCAA Regional appearances. MSU won the Big Ten title for the eighth time under her direction this season and has captured three of the last four and six of the last 10 league crowns.
Championship Experience
Two players on the Spartans' current roster have previously played in the NCAA Championships – both having done so as freshmen. Paz Marfa Sans was a part of the last MSU team to reach the Championships in 2017, while Haylin Harris qualified as an individual in 2019.
Regional Recap
In what was their fifth consecutive regional appearance, the Spartans were never really out of contention in Louisville … MSU was third after round one; sixth after round two; and wound up tying for fourth place … Senior Yurika Tanida was the Spartans' top finisher for the first time since leading MSU to a win at the FAU Paradise Invitational, Feb. 8-9 … Tanida finished tied for seventh at 1-under-par 215 (71-72-72) … Tanida led MSU on day one (71), while Tanida, Valery Plata and Leila Raines were the top scorers on day two (72), and senior Paz Marfa Sans had the low score on the final day (71).
For the Record Book
Valery Plata's 73.33 career average is currently third best in program history, behind only Ally Geer (72.87) and Sarah Burnham (72.92) … Four current Spartans own five of the 11-lowest rounds in program history: Paz Marfa Sans (64 – twice); Valery Plata (65); Leila Raines (66); and Yurika Tanida (66) … Valery Plata's 7-under-par 209 at the IU Spring Challenge was the lowest 54-hole total by any Spartan this season and tied for ninth-best in program history.
After tying for fourth place at the NCAA Louisville Regional last week, Michigan State will be making its first NCAA Championships appearance since 2017 and what will be the 12th under head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll.
> MSU Notes & Stats | NCAA Golf Home | Golfstat
The Format
All 24 teams will compete in three rounds (Friday – Sunday) of stroke play. At the conclusion of Sunday's round, the top 15 teams and top nine individuals not on an advancing team will move on. The fourth and final round of stroke play will take place on Monday, May 24, which will determine an individual national champion. The top eight teams at the end of the fourth round of stroke play move on to match play, which will take place on Tuesday, May 25 (quarterfinals and semifinals) and Wednesday, May 26 (championship).
Starting Five...
• The Spartans are making their 14th NCAA Championships appearance and first since 2017.
• MSU, the No. 8 seed in the Louisville Regional, tied for fourth to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships.
• Michigan State won the Big Ten Championship by five shots (April 23-25) at TPC River's Bend ... MSU has won three of the last four (2017, 18, 21) and six of the last 10 Big Ten titles.
•The Spartans have three tournament wins this season and have been in the top five in five of nine events this season.
• The Spartans had three players earn All-Big Ten honors: Valery Plata (first team), Paz Marfa Sans (second team) and Yurika Tanida (second team).
Coach Slobodnik-Stoll on the National Coach of the Year Watch List
Spartan head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll is one of 20 coaches on the Jackie Steinmann Women's Golf Coaches Association National Coach of the Year watch list. Recognized as the highest annual coaching honor in women's collegiate golf, the Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride is awarded annually to the top coach in Division I, II III and NAIA women's golf. The recipient is selected by a prestigious collection of women's collegiate golf coaches who follow criteria that has been established to identify the top head coach for the past year.
Slobodnik-Stoll is making her 12th appearance at the NCAA Championships in 24 seasons as head coach. She has led MSU to 21 NCAA Regional appearances. MSU won the Big Ten title for the eighth time under her direction this season and has captured three of the last four and six of the last 10 league crowns.
Championship Experience
Two players on the Spartans' current roster have previously played in the NCAA Championships – both having done so as freshmen. Paz Marfa Sans was a part of the last MSU team to reach the Championships in 2017, while Haylin Harris qualified as an individual in 2019.
Regional Recap
In what was their fifth consecutive regional appearance, the Spartans were never really out of contention in Louisville … MSU was third after round one; sixth after round two; and wound up tying for fourth place … Senior Yurika Tanida was the Spartans' top finisher for the first time since leading MSU to a win at the FAU Paradise Invitational, Feb. 8-9 … Tanida finished tied for seventh at 1-under-par 215 (71-72-72) … Tanida led MSU on day one (71), while Tanida, Valery Plata and Leila Raines were the top scorers on day two (72), and senior Paz Marfa Sans had the low score on the final day (71).
For the Record Book
Valery Plata's 73.33 career average is currently third best in program history, behind only Ally Geer (72.87) and Sarah Burnham (72.92) … Four current Spartans own five of the 11-lowest rounds in program history: Paz Marfa Sans (64 – twice); Valery Plata (65); Leila Raines (66); and Yurika Tanida (66) … Valery Plata's 7-under-par 209 at the IU Spring Challenge was the lowest 54-hole total by any Spartan this season and tied for ninth-best in program history.
Players Mentioned
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